Connector for electric wires

ABSTRACT

A connector (9) for electrically connecting a cable (10) including a bundle of electric wires (13) to a printed circuit board where the connector includes a connector body (1), a housing (12) formed to support wires of the cable integrally with one another and capable of being coupled to the connector body. The connector body includes at least one pair of facing supports (4) provided at edges of the connector body and adapted to support the housing so as to prevent the cable from being easily separated from the connector body when external force or tension is applied where at least one support of the connector body has a hook (5) adapted to engage with an edge of the housing.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a connector for electric wires, andmore particularly to a connector adapted to electrically connect a cableincluding a bundle of electric wires to a printed circuit board ("PCB")by receiving the electric wires of the cable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

When a cable is electrically connected to a PCB, the connection is notmade directly, but rather via an electrical connector. Conventionally,these electrical connector include a connector body having wirereceiving ports in which wires of the cable are received. In each wirereceiving port, a wire is fixedly interposed between the connector bodyand an elastic member connected to a connector lead.

Conventionally, when an external force or tension is applied to thecable, the wires of the cable fixedly interposed in the wire receivingports of the connector may become separated from the connector. As aconsequence, the electrical contact of the cable to the PCB via theelectrical connector may become unreliable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentionedproblems encountered in the prior art. An electrical connector of thepresent invention includes supports where at least one support has ahook, to firmly engage a housing coupled to a cable to the electricalconnector. The supports of the electrical connector of the presentinvention and the housing for the cable work together to help preventwires of the cable from being easily separated from the wire receivingports of the connector when an external force or tension is applied tothe cable.

In accordance with the present invention, this object and others may beaccomplished by providing an electrical connector which includes aconnector body and a housing for a cable where the housing is formed tosupport wires of the cable integrally with one another and coupled tosaid connector body. In addition, a plurality of wire receiving portsare formed in the connector body and adapted to receive wires of thecable. At least two facing supports are provided at edges of theconnector body and adapted to support the housing so as to prevent thecable from being easily separated from the connector body due to anexternal force or tension being applied to the cable. Finally, a hook isprovided on at least one of the supports and adapted to engage an edgeof the housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and aspects of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing description of embodiments with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a connector of thepresent invention, illustrating a ribbon cable coupled to the connector;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the first embodiment of the connector of thepresent invention, illustrating the ribbon cable coupled to theconnector;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I--I of FIG. 1,illustrating the ribbon cable coupled to the first embodiment of theconnector of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the connector ofthe present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a housing molded on a ribboncable in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the third embodiment of the connector of thepresent invention illustrating the housing coupled to the connector;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the fourth embodiment of the connectorof the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the fourth embodiment of the connector of thepresent invention;

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the fourth embodiment of the connector of thepresent invention;

FIG. 10 is a front view of the fourth embodiment of the connector of thepresent invention;

FIG. 11 is a rear view of the fourth embodiment of the connector of thepresent invention;

FIG. 12 is a side view of the fourth embodiment of the connector of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II--II of FIG. 7,illustrating the ribbon cable coupled to the fourth embodiment of theconnector of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an electricalconnector 9 of the present invention before a ribbon cable or cablehaving electrical wires 10 is coupled to the connector 9. As shown inFIG. 1, the connector 9 includes a connector body 1 which has aplurality of wire receiving ports 2 and a pair of supports 4 centrallyprotruding from front and rear edges of an upper surface of theconnector body 1. One of the supports 4 has a hook 5. A recess 6 iscentrally provided at the upper surface of the connector body 1. Therecess 6 extends throughout the width of the connector body 1. A housing12 is molded for supporting core wires 13 of the ribbon cable 10integrally with one another. When the core wires 13 of the ribbon cable10 are received in corresponding wire receiving ports 2 of the connectorbody 1, the housing 12 is seated on the recess 6 and firmly engaged andsupported by the supports 4 and the hook 5.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the ribbon cable 10 coupled to the firstembodiment of the connector of the present invention. As shown in FIG.2, the housing 12 is seated on the recess 6 of connector body 1 andfirmly supported at its front and rear surfaces by the supports 4. Thehook 5 provided at the upper end of one of the supports 4 supports anupper edge of the housing 12. In this embodiment of the invention, asupport 4 which does not have a hook is smaller in height than thehousing 12.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the connector of the firstembodiment of the invention taken along the line I--I of FIG. 1,illustrating the ribbon cable coupled to the connector. As shown in FIG.3, the connector body 1 includes a connector lead 3 mounted in each wirereceiving port 2. The connector lead 3 is upwardly inserted into theconnector body 1. The connector lead 3 has an elastic member 3A at oneend thereof and an engaging member 3B at the intermediate portionthereof. The elastic member 3A serves to make the corresponding wire 13come into close contact with the connector lead 3. When the connectorlead 3 is inserted into the connector body 1, the engaging member 3B ofconnector lead 3 is engaged with a step 7 formed at an inner surface ofthe connector body 1 so as to prevent the connector lead 3 from beingseparated from the connector body 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the connector ofthe present invention. This connector has the same construction as thefirst embodiment, except for the positions of the supports 4. Inparticular, the supports 4 in the second embodiment of the invention areprovided at the left and right edges of the upper surface of theconnector body 1, respectively. In another embodiment of the invention,the connector body 1 may have four supports provided at all four edgesof the upper surface. In such an embodiment, one or more of the supportsmay have hooks.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the connector ofthe present invention illustrating a housing molded on a ribbon cable inaccordance with the third embodiment of the present invention. Thehousing 22 has a pair of protrusions 23 which are centrally formed atfront and rear surfaces of the housing 22, respectively. In thisembodiment of the invention, the connector 1 has supports 4 each havinga hook 5 which engages a corresponding protrusion 23 of the housing 22.FIG. 6 is a side view of the third embodiment of the connector of thepresent invention which shows the housing 22 coupled to the connector 1by virtue of the supports 4, hooks 5, and protrusions. The height ofeach support 4 and thus hook 5 provided at the upper end of each support4 should be determined by taking into consideration the level of eachcorresponding protrusion 23 of the housing 22.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of an electricalconnector 109 of the present invention, before a cable 10 is coupled tothe connector 109. As shown in FIG. 109, the connector of the fourthembodiment of the invention is a right angle connector in that theconnector 109 is mounted at a right angle to the PCB relative to themounting of a cable 10 to the connector 109. As also shown in FIG. 7,the connector 109 includes a connector body 101 which has a plurality ofwire receiving ports 102 and a pair of supports 104 protruding fromfront and rear edges on each side of an upper surface of the connectorbody 101. One of each pair of the supports 104 has a hook 105. A recess106 is centrally provided at the upper surface of the connector body101. The recess 106 extends throughout the width of the connector body101. The upper surface of the connector body 101 also includesprotrusions 108 for engaging slots 114 of a housing 112 of the fourthembodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 13. The protrusions108 and slots 114 help prevent the movement of the housing 112 and,consequently, the wires of the cable 10 due to any external lateralforces or tension on the cable 10.

FIG. 8 is a top view, FIG. 9 is a bottom view, FIG. 10 is a front view,FIG. 11 is a rear view, and FIG. 14 is a side view of the connector body101 of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in thesefigures, the connector body 101 of the fourth embodiment of the presentinvention includes a plurality of protrusions 108 and supports 4 forfirmly engaging the housing 112 to prevent wires coupled to theconnector body 101 in the wire receiving ports 102 from becominguncoupled due to any external force or tension applied to the cable 10,whether lateral or vertical.

FIG. 13 is a diagram of the ribbon cable 10 coupled to the fourthembodiment of the connector of the present invention. As shown in FIG.13, the housing 112 is seated on the recess 106 of connector body 101and firmly supported at its front and rear surfaces by the supports 104.The hooks 105 provided at the upper end of one of each of the pair ofsupports 104 supports an upper edge of the housing 112. As also shown inFIG. 13, in the fourth embodiment of the invention, the housing 112 ismolded for supporting core wires 13 of the ribbon cable 10 integrallywith one another. When the core wires 13 of the ribbon cable 10 arereceived in corresponding wire receiving ports 102 of the connector body101, the housing 112 is seated on the recess 106 and firmly engaged andsupported by the supports 104 and the hook 105 and the protrusions 108which firmly engage the slots 114 of the housing 112.

FIG. 13 is also a cross-sectional view of the connector 109 of thefourth embodiment of the invention taken along the line II--II of FIG.7, illustrating the ribbon cable 10 coupled to the connector 109. Asshown in FIG. 13, the connector body 101 includes a connector lead 103mounted in each wire receiving port 102. The connector lead 103 isupwardly inserted into the connector body 101. The connector lead 103has an elastic member 103A at one end thereof and an engaging member103B at the intermediate portion thereof. The elastic member 103A servesto make the corresponding wire 13 come into close contact with theconnector lead 103. When the connector lead 103 is inserted into theconnector body 101, the engaging member 103B of connector lead 103 isengaged with a step 107 formed at an inner surface of the connector body101 so as to prevent the connector lead 103 from being separated fromthe connector body 101.

As made apparent by the above description, the connectors of the presentinvention provide a connector for electric wires wherein supports, oneof which has a hook, firmly engage and support a housing of a ribboncable. As a result, the electrical connectors of the present help toprevent wires of a cable from being easily separated from the wirereceiving ports of the connector due to external forces or tensionapplied to the cable.

In accordance with the present invention, the supports and the hooks ofthe connector can be formed by a single process step in formation of theconnector body. Accordingly, a reduction in manufacturing cost and anincrease in convenience in use is obtained.

In the embodiments of the connectors of the present invention, when auser optionally moves supports having a hook away from an opposing orfacing support, the housing and thus the cable can be easily separatedfrom the connector.

Although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosedfor illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate thatvarious modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in theaccompanying claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A connector for a cable having a plurality of electrical wires comprising:a connector body; a housing formed to support the plurality of wires of said cable integrally with one another and capable of being coupled to said connector body; a plurality of wire receiving ports formed in said connector body, each port adapted to receive one wire of the cable; and at least two supports facing each other provided at opposite edges of the connector body, at least one support having a hook adapted to engage an edge of the housing, the supports adapted to support the housing so as to prevent the cable from being easily separated from the connector body when an external force or tension is applied to the cable.
 2. A connector according to claim 1, wherein the supports are centrally located at their corresponding edges of the connector body to have a sufficient width to firmly support the housing of the cable.
 3. A connector according to claim 1, wherein supports are provided at front and rear edges of an upper surface of the connector body, and the hook is provided only at one of the supports.
 4. A connector according to claim 1, wherein supports are provided at left and right edges of an upper surface of the connector body.
 5. A connector according to claim 3, wherein supports are provided at left and right edges of an upper surface of the connector body.
 6. A connector according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a pair of protrusions formed at opposite side surfaces of the housing and supports have hooks adapted to engage the protrusions.
 7. A connector according to claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the connector body has at least one protrusion for engaging a slot of the housing.
 8. A connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector is a right angle connector.
 9. A connector according to claim 1, wherein supports are provided at four corners of an upper surface of the connector body.
 10. A connector according to claim 1, wherein a connector lead is mounted in each wire receiving port for engaging a wire of the cable.
 11. A connector according to claim 10, wherein the connector lead includes an elastic member at one end where the elastic member makes the corresponding wire of the cable come into close contact with the connector lead.
 12. A connector according to claim 11, wherein the connector lead includes an engaging member at an intermediate portion of the connector lead.
 13. A connector according to claim 12, wherein the engaging member engages a step formed at an inner surface of the connector body.
 14. A connector according to claim 1, wherein the a recess is centrally provided in an upper surface of the connector body for engaging the housing. 